Thursday - evening - iPhone entry 

I was beating the tires on the trailer with a hammer this morning and one of them reported back with a “I am half flat” thud. I figured I could make it to a truck stop and I figured right. Filled the tire up to 105 pounds and hoped it would hold until I had more time to deal with it. 

A few hours later at the plant in Gurdon. Got out of the truck sitting on the scale and saw …a flat tire. This was a different tire on the trailer, I had checked all of them, it was perfectly fine this morning. It had a large metal spike in it. So the ordeal begins. 

I unloaded the truck, had agreement that I can drive it to the Loves 20 miles away and that is exactly what I did. When I got in there, they told me 4 HOURS before they could get to it. Screw that. 

I drove a few more miles to the TA truck stop where they got right on it. Fixed both tires and then tried to put them back on….

3 of the studs that the lugs screw onto were completely stripped. They tried screwing new lugnuts back onto it anyway, no go. They then discussed among themselves about whether they could put the wheels back on with 3 of 10 lugnuts not tightened and said nope. We cannot put those wheels back on there. 

Further, the Napa is now closed so we can’t get parts today. 

Yup. I’m stuck in Prescott, Arkansas until who knows when tomorrow, for they don’t know if the Napa will have the parts and  if they don’t, they’ll have to go to a trailer shop in Texarkana. It is likely I’ll be stuck here well into tomorrow before it’s repaired. 

I tried to get them to put it back together for the trailer is empty and could easily make the 70 miles to our yard. I understand, tho, they can be held liable for any accidents and so they refused. 

I qualified for a loan at the local John Deere outlet. They quoted me 2 prices and payment plans for 2 tractors, but the loan length was far too long at 84 months and payments higher than I want. It is an interest free loan, yes but I’m not willing to get into eternal payments. Maybe 4 or 5 years but 7? No thank you and I told them as such. I want used at a much lower price, that’s what I want. I don’t need to be getting into 35k worth of tractor. 

So I have texted them back my desires and they can either accommodate for me or not.

My dear mom sent me more money today. Totally out of the blue. It is almost enough for another septic system. 

It’s what I need first before considering expanding the park, I’m going to sit on the money for awhile, however and ponder this situation. I will also have to install another 200 amp electrical setup with meter as well. However, I can set it up myself only paying an electrician to hook the lines up from the power pole. Which also poses the need for the power company to install yet another telephone pole. Now, they will do this and no money up front, but it’s 2 month lead time. 

Just not there, yet, it will cost many thousands of dollars more than just a septic system to install more lots just because I will need the setup for electricity plus buy under ground cable, pipe, pedestals, gravel and whatever else I’m not thinking of. I would actually want to set up electrical first since there is a long lead time for pole installation. 

I may just hold the money and save towards down payment for a loan. 

Anyway, I decided to stay at a  nearby hotel. Pretty spartan but it’s not a dive and better than sitting in that truck for at least 14 hours if not more. I’m guessing they’ll still want me to drive clear to lufkin tomorrow if this thing is fixed in time to make it down there. They’re not going to care that I’ll be wearing same clothes for 2 days and all the rest of my dislikings for having to tolerate junk equipment. 

What I could really kick myself about is not bringing my laptop. I was going to start bringing it because I get so many calls for spots and I really need to see my reservation software to make sure I’m not giving bad info and having more people show up than I have lots available. 

I have nothing with me except a coat, a charging cord and the tablet. This room has, amazingly enough, an excellent satellite lineup including HBO. 

Well, I can only do so much of this in a phone before I get tired of trying to type out the words with one finger so I’ll end this here. 

 Wednesday - mid morning

The late load lasts 2 days. Going to fetch the glue from Lufkin and going to deliver the load in Gurdon. Well, all of the loads last 2 days, that's nothing new, it's just that I have to wait to leave to head up there.

I contacted the other driver a while ago, no reply.  My appointment time is 2 pm, but I'd like to be there around 11:30 am - if - he- is- going - to - be there.  He gets up late, he starts late and he makes multiple stops to use the restroom on the way up there.  That's all well and fine for him, it isn't for me. If he wants to be late, then take late loads for crying out loud.  A bit ridiculous.  

I suspect the reason he isn't replying - which he normally does within a few minutes - is because he has yet another late start which will push my day further and further back.  At this point, any late loads for me will have me asking him if I can just go up there super-early, get it over with and be gone before he even arrives.  I don't want late loads and I don't know why the dispatcher has put us on the same delivery days.  We are usually staggered so we can both have late loads.  I would be 35 minutes out from the plant right now if I were the early delivery...

I just applied for and was approved for a tractor loan with John Deere.  This does not mean I am getting a tractor.  It means I have been approved for financing for a tractor.  I am not taking the first thing they come up with, in fact, I want something used that is cheaper and lower payments.  I don't need brand new and I don't really want brand new.  It's probably like buying a new car, it loses thousands of dollars worth of "value" the instant you pull it off the dealer lot.  

I was looking around all over the place for financing, but it was mostly AG companies and they wanted me to be in the farming business. I altered the input to note that I want a "compact tractor", is what they call them now that I did enough looking around, that changed the google results.  There is a local John Deere dealership, it's a pretty big place with all kinds of different sized tractors out there. I don't know if they have used, I will be finding out.  

He finally contacted me back: 10:30 ish.  See?  He wants me to get there early on his late days so he can get done earlier but he won't accommodate for me. He should be arriving there at the latest 9:30 am, 9 even better. Instead, he isn't even arriving at the appointment time.  IF he wanted to do unto me as he would have do unto himself, as the Bible says it.  I find it odd in life that people demand things out of you that they are unwilling to enact, perform, engage in themselves.  This is what I call the actual definition of real life "privilege". It's not the color of your skin, it's your view and outlook on things.  

He's a real nice guy, don't get me wrong, but this hypocrisy is a bit much to swallow.  

Anyway, I'm going to get busy with getting out of here in about 10 minutes, leave the house by 9, leave the yard no later than 9:30 and be up there no later than 11:40 am.  I don't know what else to do for I don't know how long it's going to take him to unload. It depends on the temperature of the glue. It could be 45 minutes, it could be 3 hours depending on that variable alone.  

I have the park mostly filled up.  There is a 4 nighter staying in the overnight spot I keep open.  There are back over nighters coming on and off for the next 2-1/2 weeks.  It basically equates to a full month's lot rent for the intended lot.  I have a 3 weeker coming in for the open back in spot on Sunday.  The back in lot is available tonight butis taken for 5 days with various people after that.  People are traveling now, it's time to head north out of winter.  Yes, you heard that right, people love it up north during the summer time where the day time temps are much better than pretty much anywhere in the south.  

They'll plan their trips home -- or if full timers they'll plan their trips to whatever RV park they are intending to stay at - and reserve spots accordingly along the way. Many of them will not travel over 300 miles a day and a lot of those wont' even go that far. They are no hurry, which if you're retired, why be in a hurry anyway?  

Back to the tractor, the payments are going to have to be low which means they will have to give longer terms, like 5 years or something.  I will be out of the shed payments in 7 months, I think it is, it's either 7 or 6. The hard part is summer, when people are turning on AC units and leaving them on all day long at the coldest setting. That is what I surmise they are doing, anyway, simply by walking by their units and hearing the compressors going constantly.  It's "free" electricity. 

If this job pans out for pay, that will change eventually. I will install meters and I will target the people using excessive amounts of electricity. They will either pay for the excess or they can leave. I would rather have the lot empty than only making, say $50 off the lot per month. What good is that? I'm not here to do people favors.  People that conserve electricity won't even be approached, it's the hoarders, the people that don't give a damn, those are the ones that need to pay.  

Well, I guess I better get started on leaving. It's kind of a process where I double check I have everything, make a lunch, get some ice water and fill a thermos with coffee.

G'day